![]() Like the Cobra before it, the Contour SVT offers big bangs for small bucks. The only optional equipment are a single disc CD player and a power moonroof. The SVT package includes a full complement of power accessories, an AM/FM premium stereo cassette audio system and air conditioning. The tester’s midnight blue leather interior is quite attractive the 10-way power driver’s seat is comfortable and supportive for sporty driving. Through tight corners they cling to the pavement like a lawyer to a settlement payout, yet the Contour’s highway ride is hardly affected by their lower profile.Interior-wise, the SVT is pretty much top-of-the-line Contour. SVT credits the most significant handling improvement to Goodyear’s extra-sticky 205/55ZR16 gumballs. According to the SVT team, any loss in outright grip is more than made up for in more balanced steering. In fact, the front stabilizer bar is less stiff. They also provided much more feedback and were easier to modulate in full-blitz mode.Surprisingly, the suspension is little modified. Its larger front discs refused to fade whereas the standard Contour’s brakes were cooked after only five laps. Racetrack testing also showed the SVT’s improved braking. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In testing both cars back-to-back, the SVT was dramatically quicker, especially when passing on the highway. Most of the power gains are above 4,500 rpm, but the SVT retains the base car’s wide powerband so the gearbox doesn’t have to be rowed for maximum performance. Then it seems to grow two extra cylinders and climb to its 6,750 rpm redline with ardor. Except for a slightly more enthusiastic exhaust note, the Contour SVT feels as domesticated as the garden-variety version. More importantly, the engine is a model of civility. Thanks to higher compression, some wilder cams and a new process called Extrude-hone, the end result is 195 horsepower more horsepower per litre than Audi’s A4 2.8 or BMW’s 328. Manage Print Subscription / Tax Receiptįresh off its successful transformation of the Mustang into the rampaging Cobra, SVT wanted to build some excitement into a car that would reach a wider audience.The first task at hand was pumping more horsepower into the Contour’s 24-valve, 2.5 litre V-6. ![]()
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